Luxor beyond the temples
Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum
Luxor has two small museums on the Corniche, both within walking distance or a short ride of the cruise moorings, and neither is usually part of a Nile cruise programme. Luxor Museum is one of the best-displayed museums in Egypt, with fine statues from Thebes, a group of statues found buried under Luxor Temple, and objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb, and takes one to two hours. The Mummification Museum is smaller, explains how the Egyptians preserved the dead, and takes under an hour. Both fit well into an evening or the free day after you leave the boat.
The main museum
Luxor Museum
- 1The statue cache. A group of fine statues found buried in the court of Luxor Temple in 1989, displayed in their own hall.
- 2Akhenaten's wall. Painted blocks from Akhenaten's temple at Karnak, rebuilt as a wall showing life at his court.
- 3Tutankhamun. Objects from his tomb, including model boats and furniture.
- 4Quiet and well lit. Fewer visitors than the temples, with good labels; a calm hour after a busy day.
The small one
The Mummification Museum
A compact museum below the Corniche near Luxor Temple, showing the tools, materials and steps of mummification, with animal mummies and coffins. It answers the questions children and first-time visitors ask after the Valley of the Kings. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.
On a cruise
How to fit them into a cruise
Ships moor in Luxor on the first or last night, so the museums suit an evening on the Corniche with Luxor Temple lit up, or the free day after disembarking. A private guide can add them to the programme. Nile cruise ships run about US$120 to US$1,500 per person per night. See also where to stay in Luxor and Nile cruise excursions.
Asked often
Luxor's museums, answered
- Is Luxor Museum worth visiting?
- Yes. It is small, beautifully displayed and quiet, with the statues found under Luxor Temple, Akhenaten's painted wall and objects from Tutankhamun's tomb. Allow one to two hours.
- Is Luxor Museum included in a Nile cruise?
- Usually not. Add it in an evening or on the free day after the cruise, or ask for a private guide to include it.
- What is in the Mummification Museum in Luxor?
- Tools, materials and displays explaining how Egyptians mummified the dead, with animal mummies and coffins. It takes under an hour.
- How far are Luxor's museums from the cruise ships?
- Both are on the Corniche on the East Bank, a short walk or ride from the main moorings.
